Heraldic expansions
R. Sale > 18-11-2021, 09:39 PM
Heraldic investigations have expanded VMs interpretations in a number of areas. Traditional heraldic interpretations have opened up new aspects of VMs understanding. The traditional use of heraldic elements in the VMs shows that the artist knew the tradition.
Armorial heraldry - lines of division: the nebuly line. Used in VMs cosmos (f68v3), VMs critter (f80v), and elsewhere in Quire 13, with a few scattered in the plants section.
Armorial heraldry - standard shield patterns known as ordinaries and sub-ordinaries. Used as tub patterns around the outer ring of VMs Pisces and in Aries. E.g. the chevrons on Pisces.
Ecclesiastical heraldry - red, white, or green colored hats used on the zodiac nymphs; red for cardinals, green for abbots, white for Premonstratensians. [While Premonstratensians faded in much of western Europe, they held on in the Burgundian state through the C-14 dates.]
Historical heraldry - the combination of armorial heraldry and ecclesiastical heraldry, red hats and blue stripes, the origin of the tradition of the cardinal's red galero. The combination is found on a nymph in the inner ring of White Aries.
Armorial heraldry - the heraldic tradition of most honorable placement on an insignia also plays a part in the White Aries illustration.
Armorial heraldry - the types of tincture: papelonny, a traditional fur. Used in VMs Pisces and Dark Aries.
With all these heraldic elements in use, perhaps there is reason to consider that the VMs artist was capable of heraldic *thinking*, by which I mean heraldic canting. Used in the placement of the papelonny patterns to structurally confirm, beyond question, the historical identification of the Fieschi popes [French: pape. (Get it?)], they correspond in quadrant and in sphere with the blue-striped, armorial patterns on White Aries.
Perhaps someone will suggest how other areas of investigation, such as alchemy or astrology, have made similar contributions to VMs interpretation.